Dołt'ol Dina, The Man in the Moon Told by Hannah Maillelle, March 2002, Shageluk, Alaska

Recorded by Donna Miller MacAlpine and Alice Taff. Transcribed and translated by Donna Miller MacAlpine, Hannah Maillelle, Edna Deacon, Louise Winkleman, and Alice Taff. (added for clarity) {false start} [notes] Compare this story beginning with that of “Nił’oqay Ni’idaxon” in Belle Deacon, 1987, Engithidong Xigixudhoy; Their Stories of Long Ago, ANLC and IASD.

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Ughida, {ine' sis} "ine" sateneł, he'?

Cousin, you're going to say "ine", for me, eh? [The storyteller needs a listener to respond "ine" during the story pauses.]

Qay xidhi’onh, tr’ine.

There was a village, it is said.

Tsʼi yixi xiłdi

So around there

xididltth'e.

they were living.

Xiłdi,

So,

giłixin

one

niłoqay

married couple

nq'ołdałin xit’anh, tr’ine,

they had daughters, it is said,

toxin nq’ołdałin.

three daughters.

Tsʼi yixi nixidodhil ts'i xiłdi.

They lived there year after year.

Yixiqay xididlitth'e.

They stayed around their village.

Xiłdi,

So,

anh, xivito’, gits’i’in q’u’edoyh.

that one, their father, goes out hunting.

Ghinoy, tr’ine, dił'anh nginixi.

Caribou, it is said, he gets back there.

Xiłdi,

So,

ni’idiyo xałts’in’.

he comes back in the evening.

Anh, anh vuyithdon,

The one with whom he lives (his wife),

edivenhditux, tr’ine, nigintth’ux.

every day, it is said, she makes ice cream,

Yixo nigintth’ux.

For him she makes ice cream.

Xiłdi giłixdi

So once,

"Gan, ixinałt'a tux iłt'e vixo nigenastth’ux?

"How many times am I always making ice cream for him?

Nughi xonigendhastth’ugh ts’i, anh," yiłne, tr'ine.

I’m not going to make ice cream for him, that guy," she said, it is said.

Xiłdi,

So,

xiviyił, tr’ine, ni’idiyo.

with that, it is said, he came back.

Ni’idiyo ts’i.

He came back.

Vav yughininelo, tr’ine, dughidhidon.

She put food by him, it is said, by her husband.

"Xiday vanhgiq?" yiłne, tr'ine.

"Where's the ice cream?" he asked, it is said.

"Gan ixinałt'a tux nigenastth’ux?

"How many times have I made ice cream for you?

Nughi niginistth’ugh ts’i," yiłne.

For you I did not make ice cream," she said.

Xingo yi xits'i xiłdi,

Right from there,

“Gila. Soxo niginetth'ux go idał," yiłne.

"Right now. You make ice cream for me right now," he said.

Xiłdi yiggi, nq’ołonh, giłigginh,

Then she, (to) one of the girls,

tth’ok, tr’ine, yitl'ogh ghetonh,

a dish, it is said, she handed to her,

tritr tigitth'ok chenh.

a wooden spoon, too.

"Soxo yith ingiłchet," yiłne.

"Get snow for me," she said.

Tthan at, xiyił tthitadhiyo.

And so, she went out with them (the utensils).

Yith oqo tthitadhiyo.

For snow she went out.

Xidontodolin xe lo che, tr'ine.

She never came back inside there sure enough, it is said.

Ngi'egh yuxudz

Outside everywhere

dranh q’udixet'a, tr’ine.

it was like daytime, it is said.

Digidołt'oł ts'in'.

The moon was shining.

Xiłdi, yi davo xidithinik, tr'ine, vonh.

So, she (mother) got tired of waiting for her (daughter), it is said, her mother.

Xiłdi yoqo xentl’anh ngi’egh.

So she started to look for her outdoors.

Viqul, tr’ine, ngi’egh.

She's not outside, it is said.

Xiłdi xidonidiyo, "Nughi qul anh," xiyiłne.

So she (the mother) went inside, "She's gone," she told them.

"Yith oqo tthitadhiyonh qul," ne.

"The one who went out for snow is gone," she said.

Xiłdi yiggi,

So they,

vodaye notin,

her two older sisters,

xiyił ałixi yuxudz tthixinedatl.

all of them, they went out.

{ni} Ngitthing che xixinitl'an'.

Down there (toward the river) they started to look.

Atthing xiq’ay yiggi tth’ok dhitonh, tr'ine.

Halfway down that dish was sitting, it is said.

Xiłdi ngitthing, xits’i te xułzreyhdi,

Then down there where they get water,

che tigitth'ok, tr’ine, dhitonh.

also the spoon, it is said, was sitting.

Xiłdi ndadz go dixitoneł ts’i.

Then they didn't know what to do.

Edivenhditux, tr’ine, xiy oqo niholyix.

Day after day, it is said, they look for her.

Ine’, viqul.

But, she was gone.

Yiłchet ngidiq, Dołt'ol Dina,

He took her up there, the Man in the Moon,

yiłchet, tr’ine.

he got her, it is said.

"Ngin'qogg, xiq’i an gensitoyh tux,

"The Earth, when I look down,

ngideyan', ngiq'an gensitoyh," yiłne, tr'ine.

only you, upon you, I look down," he told her, it is said.

Ts’inʼ ngidiq, no’oy,

Up there, the moon,

yi ts’idz xiyił donxeluq.

he went towards it with her.

{and} Anh chel, vonh xelanh, tr'ine, ngidiq,

The man had a mother, it is said, up there,

no'oy q'idz.

on the moon.

Xiłdi {xi} xidonye iłt'anh.

Then he brought her inside.

Xiłdi vonh,

Then his mother,

vonh, tr’ine, gho gits’i dideyoq.

his mother, it is said, thinks he has done wrong.

Dingonh gho gits’i dideyoq yuxudz.

His own mother thinks he has done wrong.

“Ndadz dingit’anh ts’i?” yiłne.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

{and} Xiłdi vonh xiyił yiggi nq'ołonh xełedz titli’anin.

Then his mother starts to treat the girl nicely.

Ine’ yuxudz q’agh xiq’a, tr’ine.

Even so she wants to go back, it is said.

Itrix, anh nq’ołonh.

She cries, that girl.

Xiłdi, dran tux, vinixiłyigg tux, tr'ine, xidonidoyh an {cheł} chel.

So, during the daytime, during the morning, it is said, he comes inside, that man.

Xiłdi, edi dran, tr'ine, vił iłtingh.

So all day, it is said, he sleeps.

Xałts’in' xiyił tr’anididhik ts’i, tr’ine.

In the evening he wakes up, it is said.

Che tthan'idoyh.

He goes out again.

Che No’oy Dina' ngilanh.

Again the Moon Man he is.

Dołt'ol Dina' ngilanh.

The Moon Man he is.

Xiłdik, iłt'et, tr'ine, q'idughitux itrix.

And then, still, it is said, sometimes she'd cry.

Niłt'a ts'i sre’ nixidadhit, tr’ine.

No knowing how much time passed, it is said.

Xiviyił yiggi,

Then she,

chel vonh, anh,

the man's mother, she,

“On, on siyił dingit’anh,” yiłne, tr’ine.

"Come, come, go with me," she said to her, it is said.

Anh chel vił iłtingh xingo.

The man was sleeping meanwhile.

Xiyił dititht'andi viniq'it xido'.

Together to the edge of the lake they went.

Tl’ux, tr’ine, dixiditl-’an'.

They gathered lake grass, it is said.

Tl’ux, tl'ux dixiditl-’an ts’i yit xits'i.

Lake grass, lake grass they gathered from there.

Getiy tl’ux long dixaghił'an'.

A whole lot of lake grass they gathered.

Xiłdi, yiggi chel xiqʼi, tr’ine, sriłti xiyinelo.

Then, from that man, it is said, they hid all of it.

Xiłdi xidonxididatl, he'.

So they went inside, eh.

Ine’, tr’ine, yuxudz che ntithitrax, yiggi nq’ołonh.

But, it is said, again she started crying, that girl.

Dingonh q'at.

She wants her mother.

Xiłdi, nginiq,

So, behind,

xiyh yix aniggi, trʼine.

there is a winter house (sod house) behind, it is said.

Noqoggiy chux dhi'onh.

There is a big rock (covering the doorway).

Iy xiłdi, "On," yiłne.

So then, "Come," she (Moon's mother) said to her.

"Gon siyił," yiłne.

"Do this with me," she said to her (the girl).

Xiłdi, yughin neyo ts'i,

Then she goes to her,

yits'i eniq'ith, q'ith {ni'eni} niyito'oł ts'i xiq'i.

aside, to put it aside.

{hit} Xiye titlnek, tr'ine.

They start to push it, it is said.

Xidigał gan gho, tr’ine, q’ith nixiyini’onh.

Finally, what a struggle, it is said, they put it aside.

“Niyiggi gil xiningił'anh xiy,” yiłne.

"OK, look inside," she told her.

Niyiq xentl’andi.

She starts to look inside there.

Ayiggi xezron che,

Down there at last,

anh vidithinqay xididltth'edi.

her family's dwelling place.

Xiyh yix, tr’ine, xidhi’onh.

A winter house, it is said, was there.

Agidet.

Right there.

"Xiq'a ngitrixdi," yiłne.

"That's the place you cry for," she tells her.

Tthan a yit xits'i xiłdi, xidongixine’onh, tr’ine.

And then, they closed it up (with the rock), it is said.

Xiłdi, xiyiggi tl’ux dixiyighił'an,

So, that lake grass they had gathered,

xidonxiyelyo, tr’ine.

they brought inside, it is said.

Xiłdi yiggi chel tr’antididhiłdi xits'i, tr’ine,

When that one, the man would be about to wake up, it is said,

sriłton xiyilayh.

they'd hide it.

Gixenłtl’etl, tr'ine.

They braided it, it is said.

Iłt'e yuxudz edivenhditux,

Always, day after day,

tl’ux xiniłtl’etl.

they braided the grass.

Xiłdi, ligimith iy chux, tr’ine, xitltsenh.

Then, a big ball, it is said, they made of it (the braid).

Anh yiggi chel tr’andidhit tux, tr’ine, sriłton xiyi’oyh.

Before that man awakes, it is said, they hide it.

Tthan tidoyh xingo xiłdi,

When he went out,

"Yiggiy, gila', dodo iy," yiłne.

"That's it, okay, that's enough," she told her.

Xiłdi, łeq'ath, tr'ine, xidonelyo.

Then fish skins, it is said, she brought in.

Łeq'ath xidonelyo, "Gila',

Fish skins she brought in, "Okay,

gon, gon diłq'on'," yiłne.

here, sew this," she told her.

Gisr, łeq'ath gisr,

Mittens, fishskin mittens,

nałt'ay sre', tr'ine, yixeghonh.

no knowing how many they made, it is said.

Yits'e ene ts'i.

She helped her.

Xiłdi,

So,

yiyił yuxudz, sriłti xiyinelo, tr'ine.

they hide all of it together, it is said.

Sriłti xiyithdlo.

They keep it hidden.

Xiłdi,

So,

xiłdi, yiłne, tr'ine,

so, she told her, it is said,

"Ngidithinqay ye,

"Your parents,

nixiveneli'eł," yiłne.

you will see them again," she told her.

Xiłdi che,

And,

vav iy tohel,

the food that she will eat,

yił, tr'ine, yixo tr'ughiłdi ninelo.

it is said, she got it all together.

Xiłdi, "Gon, gon gila'," iłne.

So, "Here, here it is," she said.

Ngiyix didrogg xiyet

Inside her (parka) front

yighelo, tr'ine, vav.

she put it, it is said, the food.

Xiłdi yiggi, xiyinłtl'etl iy,

Then the one they braided,

gisr, gisr, tr'ine, ye yidighiłnik.

(and) the mittens, the mittens, it is said, she put them on her.

Xiłdi,

So,

"Gila', a gon gila vandighene an gon," yiłne,

"OK, this one, never let go of this one," she told her,

{that} iy xeyiniłtl'etl iy.

the one they braided.

Xiłdi, tthiniłt'anh, tr'ine, yiq'i anigg, xinedot'andi.

So, she took her out, it is said, back there, to the hole.

Xiłdi, ngiyiggi, tr’ine, ntithits’uk yiggi nq’ołonh;

So, down there, it is said, she starts to swing (lowering herself), that girl;